Knitting-machine



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o. TWOMBLY. Knitting Machine.

Patented June 29 f 880.

Non. 229,?88.

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UNITED STATES PATENT GEEIGE.

ORISON TWOMBLY, OF LAKE VILLAGE, NEW HAMPSHIRE..

KNITTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Iletters Patent No. 229,288, dated June 29, 1880,'

Application filed January 12,1880.

-To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORISON TWOMIBLY, of

Lake Village, county of Belknap, State of' New Hampshire, have invented an Improvement in Knitting-Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the acated by a cam-disk which is capable of being rotated continuously in one direction, for the production of a tubular knitted web, or of being reciprocated over a greater or less number of needles to knit a selvage-elged web, or a portion thereof, of same or varying width, as may be desired, inthe fashioning of the heels and toes of stockings, or for other work. This prese-nt invention is an improvement on United States Letters Patent Nos. 141,836 and 173,086, heretofore granted to me, and to which reference may be had. .In the said Patent N o. 173,086 the operator, when doing reciprocating knitting, had to depend upon judgment to govern the extent of each reciprocation, which demanded constant care and attention and rendered it impracticable to run the machine rapidly.

In this my present machine I have combined with the usual needle-operatin g camdisks an independent pattern-disk frictionally held or `connected with the cam-disk. Ihe said pattern-disk is provided at or near its edge with a series of holes to receive pins, which at the proper time come in contact with a reversing-stop, to thereby change the position of the pattern-disk and the thread-deliverer mounted thereon with relation to the apex of the knitting-cam, as is necessary for reciprocating knitting. v

It will be noticed that this pattern-disk also carries the bobbin-holder, tension devices, and web-holding toothed wheel.

In this present machine the knitting-cam is composed of two parts, one of which is fixed to the cam-disk and gives to the needles a start, while the other part of the cam is made radially adjustable with relation to the ends of the needle-starting parts, to insure any desired length of loop, and at each end ofthe needlestarting parts I have added certain Wedgetachedto the arm which supports the threaddeliverer.

The pattern-disk has also connected with it at its under side a regulating device, which A'co-operates with a stop on the cam-disk to regulate the distance that the thread-deliverer shall travel beyond the selvage-needle when doing reciprocating` knitting.

Figure l represents, in side elevation, a knitting-machine provided with my present improvements; Fig. 2, a top view thereof, the supporting-arm being partially broken away;

Fig. 3, an edge view of the cam and pattern the wedge-blocks and the regulating device, y

to be referred to Fig. 6, a top view of the camdisk, showing the friction-lever for moving the knitting-cam; Fig. 7, an under-side view ofthe pattern-disk; Fig. 8, a section thereof, showing the bevel-gearaboveit and actuating parts;

Fig. 9, an edge view of the lever for moving the knitting-cam, and Fig. 10 details of the stop for the pattern-disk.

The radially-grooved needle-bed and the pin or stud b with which it is connected, and the sleeve-bearing c at the end of the arm d, and theY nut c are substantially the same as shown in my Patent No. 173,086.

'The cam-disk f is composed essentially of an annular plate having an outer flange, 2, entirely around it, and a plate, 3, attached to its center by screws 4, the plate 3 being cut away, as shown in Fig. 5, opposite the apex of the knitting-cam g, the said space left between the periphery of the plate 3 and the flange 2 serving as a wide groove for the reception of the butts of the knitting-needles a2, which, Ain practice, will be of the latched sort. It is obvious,

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however, that the part-s f 2 3 may be made as one piece.

The needle-starting cam h, having inclined ends 5, is afixed to the cam-disk by screws Its outer edge, at 6, is beveled or rounded, so as to obviate the latches striking the same, and at its inner side is provided with a notch to receive the knitting-cam g. This knittingcam, at its upper side, has a projection to enter the slot 8 in the cam-disk, to insure rightline movement ofthe said cani in radial direction when it is desired to lengthen or shorten the stitch made by the needles, the said move ment of the said cam being produced by the leverj, herein shown as composed ot a thin but stift' piece of sheet-steel curved in the direction ot' its length, as shown in Fig. 9, having its central part cut away at 1() to embrace the stud b, and slotted, as at 12, to engage the screw l, connected with the knitting-cam. The free end of this lever is extended beyond the edge ot' the canr-disk, and the said lever is provided with a holding device, shown as a small projection, 1/3, which is adapted to enter any one of the depressions let made at the upper side of the cam-disk, as shown in Fig. 6, to thereby hold the said lever in adjusted position.

The pattern-disk m (see Fig. 7 has at its center a hub, 15, which, when the pattern and vcam disks are in operative position, as in FiO. 1, rests directly upon the sheet-steel leverj, about its opening 10. As the cam-disk is attached to the bevel-gear a by the screws 66, the pattern-disk, by the action of the said gear upon the beveled upper portion, 67, thereof,

(see Fig. 8,) is so forced against the curved' sheet-steel leverj lying' between itand the camdisk as to temporarily straighten it. Straightening this lever causes it to act with suflicient friction between the said two disks to cause the pattern-disk to follow the direction of motion ot' the cam-disk attached to the said bev'- el-gear n, except when the friction so produced is positively overcome by one of the pins 16 (placed in one of the pin-holes 17, a series ot' which are made about the pattern-disk, as in Fig. 2) striking against the stop 18, (shown in Fig. 2.) rlhe stop 18 is turned down at the proper time, as shown in Fig. 8, dotted lines, to rest in the path of the pins 16, which project upward from the moving pattern-plate. This stop 18 is shown as connected with a sleeve, 19, tted about th'e bearing 20, and is adapted to be so moved and held as to project upward, as in Fig. 2, when circular knitting is being done, and ot' being turned downward, asjust described, when reciprocating knitting is being done. The detail of this stop and its connection with the bearing is shown in Fig. 10, where it will be noticed that the sleeve has within it grooves 21 and 22 to tit a key, 22', on the bearing 20, and by moving the collar or sleeve of the stop laterally it may be engaged with or disengaged from the said key.

' The shaft23, moving the bevel-gear 24, which engages and drives the bevel-gear a, has connected-with it the handle 25; or it might be a pulley ot' usual construction,

The leverj, clamped, as described, at its central part, when moved by grasping its free end, will cause its slotted end to move in the arc of a circle or laterally about its central clamped portion, and acting upon the screw l will draw the knitting-cani more or less out from the notch in the needle-starting cam, as before described, as it is desired to increase or decrease the length ot loop to be formed.

The edges 5 of the needle-starter l1J give to the needles their start inward to forni loops from the yarn delivered into the hooks of the needles from the eye ofthe thread-delivererp, (see Fig. 1,) and the butts of the needles, after passing from one ofthe said edges 5, are acted upon by one of the inclined edges ofthe knitting-cam, it, by its position, determining the length of the loops to be formed.

The long edge 6 of the needle-starter 7L always occupies the same tiXed position, so as to act in the same manner upon the butts of those needles which are thrown outward into the groove or space r between it and the iian ge 2 by either ot' the wedge shaped blocks s s2, for, when reciprocating knitting is being done, the needles, the butts of which rest in said space r, are projected outward, and during that time they hold their loops, but do not knit.

It' the parts h and g were in one piece and should be adj Listed, the width of space r would be varied at times, and the ends of h would close the spaces between the edges 5 and the wedge blocks. The Wedge blocks s s2 form part ot' carrying-arms t, shown in dotted lines, Fig. 5, pivoted at 28. 'These arms teach have a stud, 29, which is acted upon by the outer edge ot' a cam, 30, on the pattern-disk, (see Fig. 7 and dotted lines Fig. 5,) which moves the arms so as to place the wedge-blocks into either of their two positions shown in Fig. 5. With the block s s2, as shown in Fig. 5, the cam-disk being moved in the direction of the arrow 2, theybutts of the needles vwill pass along the outer edge of s2, strike edge 5, and pass from it to the edge of the knittinglcam, thence along the groove and in contact with the edge of plate 3, when tubular or circular knitting will be done, the stop 18 then being turned up, as in Fig. 2.

To perform reciprocatingknitting, acertain quantity ot' the needles which itis not desirable to employ at the commencement of the tlat web, are drawn out so as to pass the loops held by them back of the latchesot' the said needles. In such position the butt of each of the said needles will pass in the space r between the flange 2 and cam as the cam-disk is reciprocated, and the said needles will not be moved by the cam.

Now, the stop 18 is turned down, and the cam-disk is turned in one or the other direction until the pins 16 strike the said stop, when the motion of the patternclisk is arrested,

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while the cam-disk continues to move, the pins 29 of the arms tmoving along the face of the cam 30, which is then stationary, such cam acting to throw outward one or the other ot' the said arms and its wedge-block sor s2, according to the direction of movement of the cam-disk, the said blocks, when the cam-disk is moved inthe direction ot' arrow 3, being in exactly the reverse position to that shown in Fig. 5.

In practice, I prefer, when about to commence to knit a heel, to draw ont and throw out of operation about one-half the series ofneedles. The cam-disk will now be reciprocated, and at the end of each reciprocation one additional needle will be drawn out until all the needles have been drawn out except those used to knit the narrowest course, and thereafter at each reciprocation ot' the cam-disk a needle is returned until all the needles employed for reciprocating knitting have been returned. This operation will result in 'the production of a pocket-like web or a bulge suitable for the formation of a heel, after which all the needles will be returned into workin gposition and the stop 1S will be turned up, which will leave the parts in condition to resume circular knitting for the foot of the stocking.

To knit a toe it is only necessary to form a bulge, as before described, and press it oit'. The toe is completed lby joining the loops so pressed oft' by a short seam across the bottom ot' the footjust back of the toe end.

To throw an arm, t, in and cause its pin 29 toenter the space 3l'in the cam 30, (the wedgeblock then assuming the position shown by block 82,) I have so shaped the inner end of the arm 32 as to form a cam, 33, the inclined edges of which operateat the proper times, according to the direction of movement of the cam-disk, to strike the pins of said carryingarms t and push them and their wedge-blocks inward. This arm 32 has adj ustably attached to it, by ad j ustin g-screw 34 inslot 35, the yarndelivererp,it being made adjustable independently of the said arm in order to place it in the proper position with relation to the length of the needles beyond the needle-disk.

When the machine is knitting properly the arm 32, which carries the deliver p, stands opposite that end of the needle-starter between which and the adjacent wedge-block the butts of the needles are to pass; but it the arm 32 be turned by hand and left opposite, or nearly so, to the apex of the knitting-cam it will so move the wedge-blocks as to close the passage between them and the starter, so that should the cani-disk be turned in either direction it will not cause the needles to cast oft their stitches. This is a very convenient provision,

for it frequently happens that aperson using a machine will leave it and some one else will turn it carelessly and run off the work.

The teeth of the toothed wheel w, supported by the arm 32 and free to rotate about its supporting-stud, act upon and partially enter the outer face ot' the web being knitted, :and operate to hold it back as the kneedlcs are moved outward to take the yarn.

The bobbin to supply the yarn `for knitting is held on a projecting arm, 37, attached to the pattern-disk, the said disk having also attached to it the take-up 38 and the guide 39|,

Connected with the pattern-disk is the regulator 40, herein shown as a spring, having holding-cavities 41, into one ot which, at the end of each reciprocation of the cam-disk, enters the pin 42, connected with the cam-diskf.

The pattern-disk, near the ends ot' the regulator, has two pins, 43 44, which become, as it were, fixtures when the motion of the pattern-disk is arrested, as before described; and when the pin 42 on the cam-disk, which contin ues to move after the pattern -disk is stopped, reaches either of the said pins 43 or 44, according to the direction of the knitting, the said pins act to positively stopthe movement of the cam-disk, and, as will be obvious, the distance. which the cani-disk can move beyond the pattern-disk is determined by the distance between the pins 43 44. The pin 42, having been stopped by one ofthe said pins 43 or 44, enters the recess 4l and causes the pattern and cani disks to thereafter move as one until one ot' the pins 16 again strikes the stop 18, when the said pin 42 is moved over the regulator to its opposite notch, 41.

At the rear of each wedge-block is placed a stud, 45, having an inclined face, as shown in Fig. 5, the purpose of which is to strike the butts ot' any of `the needles which are -drawn out, as described, and throw them fully out, so as to properly enter the groove r, should the pressure and weight of the knitted web held upon the said needles draw them so far inward as to be struck by the end of the needlestarter or one of the wedge-blocks as the camdisk is reciprocated.

The teeth in the wheels n and 24 (the latter being on the rotatable shaft 23) are of equal number, so as to insure that the handle 25, when traveling through the lower part of its course, shall not strike any of the parts projectin g from the pattern-disk.

I am aware that a tiXed knitting-cam, with movable cams at each end ot'it, has been used in knitting-machines; and I am also aware that it is not new to move a thread-deliverer farther than the knitting-cam at each reciprotion.

I claim- 1. In a knitting-machine, a radially-grooved needle-disk, a cam-disk, and cams thereon to reciprocate the needles, a series of needles, and a stop, combined with a pattern-disk frictionally connected with the `cam-disk, a thread-deliverer, a wheel to act upon the outer side otthe knitted web, mechanism to turn the camdisk, and pins to alternately engage the said stop and change the position of the cam and pattern disks, substantially as described.

2. In a knitting-machine, the rotatable cam- IOO IIO

disk, its attached needle-starter, knitting-cam g, movable wedge-blocks, and their carryingarms, combined with the pattern-disk frictionaliy held to the cam-disk,a11d cams 30 and 33, to operate the said arms and Wedge-blocks, substantially as described.

3. 1n .a knitting-machine, a cam-disk and a beveled pinion, n, connected therewith, coni-A bined with the pattern-disk, and spring-metal lever to unite the cam-disk and Iiattern-disk frictionally, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the bearing 20, ot' the reversible sleeve-like stop and-key adapted to engage with grooves in said stop to hold it in adjusted position,substautially as described.

5. In a knitting-machine, a rotatable pattern-disk, combined with and carrying the yaru-deliverer, the arm, and toothed Wheel w, the bobbin-holder, and a take-up and tension device, all substantially as described.

6. The gear n, the cam-disk, the pattern-disk frictionally connected therewith, and the arm 37, the take-up, and the yarn-guide 39 carried thereby, combined with the gear 24, having the same number of teeth as the gear u, and the handle 25, all substantially as described.

In testimony Whereofl have signed my name to this speciiicatieu in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ORISON TWOMBLY.

Witnesses:

Gr. W. GREGORY, N. E. C. WHITNEY. 

